


Dreams

by Rhombea



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Longing, Mutual Pining, Pregnancy, h/c
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-03 16:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21182732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhombea/pseuds/Rhombea
Summary: Married to a noble, there weren't many things left for Mercedes to dream about. But she never really could stop thinking about the 'what if', even if her duties kept her on the ground. At least she can still count on Ingrid to be by her side, now and forever.





	Dreams

The 'Come in!' was soft, almost too weak to go through the massive wooden door. With a skilled tug, Ingrid opened it, ignoring the annoying creak it made. How many times had she entered and exited this room, hoping that one day she'd be able to do so without a sound? Too many to count, she found, holding back a sigh. Instead, she put on her best smile for her friend, something that was desperately needed in the otherwise bare and cold room.

Right away, she noticed the table next to the door. At first glance, it looked clean, but there was a carelessly thrown away and crumpled up paper on the floor. Either it was new, or a maid must have missed it, but Ingrid picked it back up, putting it on the table. It might have been important, who knew. Some books stacked next to the bed. One side was clearly used before, though someone had made sure it was arranged nicely again for the next night, while the other side seemed like no one had laid there in a while. Not a surprise, how Ingrid found, considering the lord of the house had been out and about for a while. Looking more closely, the books all seemed to be about child-care, and it brought a small smile to her face.

Sitting by the fireplace, Mercedes turned her head curiously, a grin hushing over her features as she beckoned her lady-in-waiting closer. She let out a small groan as she leaned forward in her rocking chair, patting the footstool excitedly, exclaiming, "Sit! Sit!" when Ingrid was close enough. 

"I am not sure if I should-" Ingrid hesitated, standing next to the rocking chair with wringing hands. It wasn't like she didn't want, but it seemed strange for their positions to be so familiar with each other.

Almost instantly, she could see Mercedes features dimming, the excitement coming to an abrupt halt. But just as quickly, a soft smile reappeared before she gave a teasing huff, lowering the knitting in her hands to her lap. "Don't act like we haven't known each other for years by now."

Sighing, Ingrid rubbed the back of her head, pulling the footstool closer to Mercede's seat before looking up again, smiling in apology. "It's been a while, huh?" she asked, sitting down and folding her hands in her lap properly. Facing her long-time friend, she could see the excitement about her visit reappear in her eyes, Mercedes greatly enjoying the company. "It has," Mercedes snickered, her left hand wandering to her belly absentmindedly as her eyes swayed to the side, glancing outside the window, determining what time of day it was. 

Ingrid's eyes followed, the stretch beneath Mercedes's gown clearly visible. "How far are you by now?" she asked, gaining the focus back on her presence. "Oh, we are almost there. Month six if I remember correctly what the doctor said," she answered, softness in her expression as she talked about her baby. Undeniable, she was more than happy to become a mother soon, the knitting in her hand being enough proof of that. The green playsuit looked finely made, it must have taken a lot of time she spent on knitting it, a real masterpiece in Ingrid's eyes. 

"Do you know what it's going to be?" Ingrid asked, pulling out one of the legs to get a better look at the fabric, taking the mesmerizing work in loop after loop. "There's no official statement about it…" It looked like she was going to say more, and Ingrid looked up curiously. But instead, Mercedes chuckled, leaning forward to whisper the words. "I have a feeling it will be a girl."

"Oh my," Ingrid responded, smiling. "A little princess then! I am sure M'lord will be pleased."

If only she could have bitten her lip before saying that, Ingrid wished. A moment of silence occurring as Ingrid cleared her throat, laughing awkwardly. Even though they were close to the fire, everything seemed much colder all of a sudden, now that she had dared speak up about such a fragile topic. Nervously, she looked at Mercedes, whose face turned a shade paler, fingers picking up the knitting again, a habit at best, something to keep her mind off of things. Focused on the little romper, she kept quiet, until eventually, an uncharacteristically long sigh escaped from her lips.

"He surely will be happy… Right?" Ingrid mumbled, eyes falling to the stone floor that looked all the same throughout the mansion. "He'd be happier…" Mercedes eventually started, brows furrowing as if she was thinking hard. Maybe, just maybe, that was just a way to keep her emotions in check, but a small crack in her voice was enough to reveal her real feelings. Not that Ingrid would have questioned it. "... with a boy."

Silence fell back between the two, and though not awkward, it was heavy on their moods. Even after knowing each other for all this time, there was never not a moment the two weren't aware of their duties in life. And while Ingrid had taken a big step around marriage by becoming a knight and being in service of the house she had been assigned to, Mercedes had followed the wishes of her stepfather. She never said it out loud, but Ingrid knew it was a regrettable choice, though Mercedes did her best to mix her dreams with it, no matter how small the effort was. 

Their only luck was that somehow fate was well-disposed towards the two of them, bringing them together in this way. 

There had been no doubt that Ingrid would do well with serving the lady of the house, both as a knight at service as well as her lady-in-waiting. But most importantly, as the only friend Mercedes still had. Sure, she was well-liked by the nobles she encountered - thanks to her charm and gentleness -, as well as the people she reigned over with her husband. But at times - so she confided in Ingrid a few moons before - she found herself to be quite lonely in the big mansion she now housed in, a mix of being lost and being so far away from the people she grew up with.

The good, proper Mercedes with all her amazing traits and confidence looked nothing like Ingrid remembered her from their school days. She had aged much too fast, always being a bit older than the others in the first place. Lately, she had been very worn out after getting pregnant, and it wasn't like there was much to do for her now that the doctors had told her to stay put and calm for the baby.

It confirmed all the more to Ingrid that not all marriages would be built on equally good terms.

While Mercedes stayed back, her husband had been traveling from place to place, making sure everything was in order. He occasionally wrote back home, but whenever Ingrid came to deliver the envelope, Mercedes always asked her to put it on her desk so she could read it later. After a few weeks, Ingrid had started building little mail-houses with the accumulated letters, gaining a few laughs from her friend about it. The next day they were gone, leaving Ingrid to wonder if Mercedes had ever read them in the end. 

But even so, with all the burdens she was shouldering and a child on the way, Mercedes was still beautiful. Her smile was still as genuine and soft when she looked at Ingrid, her hands always tender when they shared a touch. Even with her stomach showing she had held up a good figure throughout the time, her posture unmatched to her youthful days. Mercedes would always try to do her best when there was an emergency, her care helping many lost souls on the way, and she still attended church, even if her prayers lasted longer than usual lately. At least to Ingrid, she was still the beautiful woman she had come to love, something she had no words to describe how thankful she was for. 

"It's very nice outside…" Mercedes noted, tearing the knight out of her thoughts. Head turning, Ingrid followed her gaze outside the window, a breeze blowing through the leaves of the trees and rays of sunshine blinking out from above. Late summer had been a mild one. Excellent for the farmers and gentle on the people who were used to all kinds of bad weather from the last years. In a way, it was like Mercedes herself, refreshing but gentle in all forms.

"We didn't have a picnic in a while," she thought out loud, making Ingrid's head turn. Mercedes eyes were already fixated at her friend, an excited smile hushing over her features. "We should go and do that as long as it's still so nice outdoors!" As if it was sat in stone already, she put down her knitting, standing up carefully. 

"Oh, M'- I mean, Mercedes, do you think that is a good idea? With the baby and all?" 

With a dismissive wave of her hand, Mercedes shook her head, laughing softly at that. "I think baby and mama are going to be happier to go outside for once, and you'll be with me, right? It's not like I am wandering alone."

Her words sounded like a statement, but her eyes asked a question. It's not like Ingrid had wanted to refuse in the first place - besides, she couldn't - so she nodded enthusiastically. But a hint of doubt stayed, so she picked up her questioning again. "What if M'lord comes back in the time we are away?" she asked, watching her friends back turning to her while Mercedes started to prepare herself.

"He won't, besides…" Her words drifted off as her hand found an open drawer on her table, a clack hushing through the room as she closed it. At that very moment only, the view of her back made it seemed as if she was unreachable. There, yet, already far away in her thoughts, somewhere that Ingrid could not reach, even though her hand would most likely touch her friend if she had lifted it towards her. And no matter how much she wanted to console her form, Ingrid knew it wasn't her place to anymore.

"It's not like he'd care much." 

Nodding, Ingrid took the statement, getting on her feet. "I'll go tell the kitchen to prepare us a basket," she offered, bowing curtly and marching to the door. But before she pushed the handle, she turned back to Mercedes once more, who had approached her dresser, searching for something with one hand and holding her belly with the other. Already, everything seemed back to normal, but Ingrid couldn't shake off the feeling that something heavy seemed to be on Mercedes's mind even if she didn't speak about it.

"Do you, ehm, need something?" Ingrid asked, remembering she should work on her serving skills, especially now with her lady being pregnant. She couldn't find better words to help, no matter how much she wanted to, her real intentions - the real questions she wanted to ask - staying hidden "Sweets," Mercedes laughed, turning her head for a split second to smile at Ingrid. "The one with the jam-filling, please." 

Grinning, Ingrid nodded, holding back a chuckle. For a split second, Ingrid had thought that Mercedes had hesitated. Maybe she had caught on to what Ingrid really wanted to convey, but proper as she was, she had overplayed it, signaling she didn't want to dig in deep wounds at this moment. "Strawberry or cherry if I remember correctly," she snickered, and Mercedes shook her head enthusiastically. 

"Yes, please!"

"I think that's far enough," Mercedes panted, too proud to admit she was out of breath even before they started tracking up the hill. Surprisingly, if she wanted, she could be quite stubborn. Ingrid didn't dislike the trait as it always made for a round of back-and-forth joking, but she was concerned as she watched her friend hunch over slightly, clutching her back and holding her stomach.

Quickly, Ingrid made jumps instead of steps, setting down the basket and spreading out a velvet, plum-colored blanket on the grass before moving over to help her. "Geez, thank you," Mercedes laughed as Ingrid offered a hand to her, acting as a counterweight so she could sit down easily. "I feel like I never went to Military School." Laughing, Mercedes found a comfortable position, letting go of Ingrid's hands and adjusted her wool jacket. Assuming it would be a little colder than expected, she had brought it, and it came in handy now that they had walked for a while and warmed up a bit of a sweat.

"Ah, what a view," Mercedes admired while Ingrid sat down next to her, spreading out some of the things she had managed to collect before they had started on their way. At her words, Ingrid looked up, watching as the wind rushed through the fields below them, the bustling city so close, yet far enough to give the two women some privacy. "You always liked coming up here," Ingrid noted. 

"It's a nice place to think."

Again, Ingrid could watch her rub over her belly, seemingly just another habit Mercedes had picked up. Or maybe it was something all mothers did when they were pregnant, Ingrid wouldn't know. "Tea?" she offered, holding out a cup to Mercedes, who took it from her. "I'm afraid it's not all too warm," Ingrid lamented as she poured some from the metal container she had chosen. If possible, she had wanted to not repeat the last time the two tried to make tea outdoors, almost burning themselves in the process, so she had chosen something that would keep it at least decently warm, wrapping it in many clothes and praying it would work.

Mercedes seemingly didn't mind, sipping on her cup daintily, eventually letting out an approving hum. "An excellent choice with the blend."

"Thank you, I learned from the best," Ingrid responded, grinning at her. 

Settling the cup down onto her thighs, Mercedes seemed to be lost in thoughts again like she had been often in the last few days. But she caught herself quickly, smiling back at Ingrid before picking up her words again. "Do you remember our tea parties back in school? It was just like this, and we'd talk until late at night before you'd hurry back to your room so we wouldn't get in trouble."

The two started to laugh simultaneously at the memory, both remembering just how often it had happened that they had stayed up past bedtime to chat about the Goddess and the world, a fond time to look back too. "Time ran differently back then," Mercedes noted, a wistful look in her eyes as she stared out into the distance.

"You miss it?" Ingrid asked, gaining her attention and a soft smile. 

"I do. But…"

"But?" 

Taking a deep breath, Mercedes shrugged lightly, smiling a little bit more. "I mean, we are still here, doing just that. It's not like it changed all too much."

Nodding, Ingrid confirmed that, taking a sip from her own cup. "I wish we could do it more often still…" she mumbled, staring into the orange liquid intently. 

"Me too," Mercedes sighed. "I loved talking to you about all kinds of things, no matter what. And now it…" At a loss for words, Ingrid pitched in, ending her sentence. "Like we just don't anymore?" 

A meek smile danced over Mercedes's lips as she muttered her words, gaze sinking from Ingrid's to the grass beside them. "Exactly…"

For a while, it got quieter between the two. Ingrid offered some of the sweets she brought along, and Mercedes gladly took one, nibbling away on the pastry as she watched the surroundings. It wasn't awkward or strange to sit in peace like that, but both felt it at the back of their mind, the dread that always seemed to surround their lives, especially Mercedes's.

"Remember when we talked about marriage?" she asked between drinking her tea and eating the second pastry. Ingrid gave a thoughtful hum before replying, clapping her hands to get rid of the crumbs after finishing her snack first. "You mean in the very beginning when you got the letters from your father?" Mercedes nodded, her smile wearing down in joy with every second passing.

"Funny, how it all turned out just how I imagined I would."

"Come again?" Ingrid asked, confused about the statement, and wracking her brain around the conversation they had at that time. 

"Well, you see. I got married to a noble, expecting a child. I knew it would come to this back when we were still in school."

She turned to Ingrid, her face melancholically, as she inspected her up and down. "But you made it, you really became a knight. I am sure Glenn would have been proud of you." 

At the sound of her late fiancee's name, Ingrid must have lost control over her expression, the pain taking over even if just for a moment. It was not long enough to last, but long enough for Mercedes to notice, her hand reaching out, brushing over Ingrid's arm, even if only for the time of a blink. A small gesture like this was enough to comfort her, leaving a warm feeling behind where Mercedes had touched, and though sad, she smiled at her friend as a way to thank her. 

"I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have brought up the topic…" she regretted, gaze falling to Ingrid's hands, which were clenched into fists, gripping the blanket beneath them. "I must have gotten jealous for a second there, I am really truly sorry."

At this, Ingrid raised her eyes, scanning over Mercedes, who had put on a sorrowful look. Much more than his name did it sadden her to see her lady like this, wishing there was more she could do than be a shoulder to cry on. "But why Mercedes, are you not happy?" she asked, but truthfully, she knew the answer too well.

"Ah, well," Mercedes sighed, eyes flying up again, looking somewhere far away, somewhere that wasn't where the two were sitting at that moment. Again, a place hard to reach for Ingrid who could only sympathize with Mercedes's situation, yet never truly understand all of it. "I really want to help the people still, but I always knew it would be difficult with a nobleman on my hand. Sometimes I just…"

With a sudden boost of energy, she struggled to get up, wobbling to a stand with Ingrid's arms reflexively shooting out to catch her if she was about to fall. Immediately, she was on her feet too, following as Mercedes turned and made some steps back in the opposite direction they had come from. "I just want to get up and go. Is that weird?" she asked, turning towards Ingrid again with a smile that did not reach her eyes. It was a desperate expression, hidden by what she could do best - overplaying the seriousness and look forward.

"I don't think it's weird," Ingrid responded to her question without thinking, honestly believing in her words. After all the days they had spent together, the letters that Mercedes never wanted to read, the trust into Ingrid about her loneliness, and now the talk on the blanket - how could Ingrid think it's weird that Mercedes wanted to get up and leave? It seemed almost natural at best, something Ingrid did understand now that she had grown out of the expectations on her from the past. 

But Mercedes only let out a small chuckle, her hand finding back to her belly subconsciously. "But not yet," she stated, rubbing tender circles over it. "At least for a few years, I got to hold on." Her voice was soft, loving. It was made from the love of her child, yet, after all that happened, it was all the more heavy on Ingrid. Like a flame that was turned down in favor of sleep without being bothered by the light, Mercedes would have always put the wellbeing of her child and honoring the wish of her father first. Even over her own dreams.

Her eyes shot back to Ingrid's, as she took a few steps forward to close the distance. With her free hand, she reached for hers, holding it in her palm gently, yet determined. "When I go, will you come with me?" she asked, smiling brightly, like the sun at the flower on the ground. Taken aback, Ingrid rose her brows, stuttering to come up with an answer. Though, as she found it, it was clear as day to both of them.

"Of course, I will!"

Shoulders sinking as an unknown tension left her, Mercedes smiled softly, putting Ingrid's hand on her belly, letting her feel the movements of the baby. The instant her palm met the fabric of Mercedes's clothes, she felt a kick, flinching away in surprise while Mercedes laughed loudly. "She likes you already!" she exclaimed, and Ingrid couldn't help a light blush settling on her face hearing her friend's excitement. 

"I-I like her too!" she stuttered, feeling like she needed to say it right back." I sure hope you two will get along!" Mercedes announced. "We should probably go back soon, though," she added right after, noticing how the sun seemed to set, the sky turning from blue to orange.

For a moment, Ingrid indulged herself in the view. The soft gaze in Mercedes eyes, the way the light seemed to kiss her skin. The wind blew softly through her hair, which she didn't keep under a hat for a long time anymore, making it sway gracefully with the halms of grass all around the two of them. It seemed that even if just a little bit, Ingrid had helped her to let go of some of her worries, and it made her even more beautiful to have them off her shoulders. 

"I still enjoy our talks," Mercedes sighed as her gaze flicked back to her companion.

"Yes, me too," Ingrid agreed, smiling brightly. 

As they started to pack up, Ingrid couldn't help but look back at Mercedes a few times, always finding her to be astonishingly pretty in the orange and red light of the sunset. Somehow, even if it was just a wish or a stupid idea, she could not wait for the day to come when the two would leave every one of their worries behind. It would be when she'd be able to look at Mercedes's beauty like this forever. 

And maybe, it would be when Ingrid could tell her about how she truly felt for the first time too. Without having to hide anymore, pretending she didn't like Mercedes in the way she did for the sake of their reputation and standing. There would be no boundaries, no one holding them back. They'd be free of whatever held them down.

Free to just be what they always wanted to be, and free to be with whoever they wanted to be with.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this little read, it stemmed from a conversation that I had with the amazing @amorizel (tumblr/twitter) who made me aware of the dynamic of Ingrid & Mercedes. Thank you for reading, feel free to leave me a comment about your thoughts and I hope to see again you on another story of mine!


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